Adam Taylor, director of business development and capability for Active Inceptor Systems at BAE Systems, discusses with Ed Hill the benefits of adapting Active Stick control technology from military to civil aircra cockpit applications.   Active Inceptor, or Active Stick technology as it’s also referred to, has its roots in the development of the Joint Strike Fighter (F-35) programme. As the multi-role aircra makes greater demands on the pilot, and also contains many advanced weapon, navigation and communication systems, it became clear that anything that could help to reduce the pilot’s workload flying the aircra would be highly beneficial – if not vital. Adam Taylor, director of business development and capability for Active Inceptor Systems at BAE Systems, explains: “Because of the unique CONOPS (concept of operations) of that aircra, the need for an active stick and active throttle is higher than on other fighters. It is used to give tactile warnings to the pilot for pitch and roll manoeuvres, but in the fighter scenario it is used as much for the throttle control as it is for stick control.”

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Taking control to the next level
11 MARCH 2020 • In Features

2. Adam Taylor, director of business development and capability for Active Inceptor Systems at
BAE Systems, discusses with Ed Hill the benefits of adapting Active Stick control technology
from military to civil aircra cockpit applications.
Active Inceptor, or Active Stick technology as it’s also referred to, has its roots in the
development of the Joint Strike Fighter (F-35) programme. As the multi-role aircra makes
greater demands on the pilot, and also contains many advanced weapon, navigation and
communication systems, it became clear that anything that could help to reduce the pilot’s
workload flying the aircra would be highly beneficial – if not vital.
Adam Taylor, director of business development and capability for Active Inceptor Systems at
BAE Systems, explains: “Because of the unique CONOPS (concept of operations) of that aircra ,
the need for an active stick and active throttle is higher than on other fighters. It is used to give
tactile warnings to the pilot for pitch and roll manoeuvres, but in the fighter scenario it is used as
much for the throttle control as it is for stick control.”
Unlike a passive stick, active inceptors have
electronically controlled actuators that send tactile
feedback, or cues, to the pilot through the stick. The
feedback is programmable for specific aircra
depending on customer requirements, and can warn
pilots of impending structural or aerodynamic
operating limits.
Simultaneously to the work on the Joint Strike
Fighter programme, the system was seen as equally
beneficial for military helicopter pilots and it has
also been fitted to the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion
heavy li helicopter and the latest model of the
Chinook. In fact, active inceptor technology can now be found on seven di erent commercial
and military aircra platforms.
“In the F-35 scenario it is focused on producing tactile cues because there is only one pilot.
Active stick technology provides cues in real-time, aiding the pilot’s ability to fly the mission,
Adopting active inceptor technology has enabled Gulfstream to redesign its cockpits and increase pilot
awareness
BAE Systems Active Stick technology sends
cues to pilots to warn of impending
aerodynamic limits

3. reduce their workload and carry out other tasks when they are needed. It also gives the pilot an
indication that they have reached a flight envelope limitation but allows them to go beyond that
if they really have to. This is important for fighter pilots who need cues like this, but don’t want a
system that limits what they can do.
“Moreover, active inceptors prevent the pilot over-stressing the aircra . For example, on a
helicopter Collective control, one of the primary cues is to stop the pilot over-torqueing the rotor
head and causing mechanical damage. On the F-35, although the aircra is very di erent, the
functions of the system end up producing similar benefits. By flying these aircra correctly
within their limits, you are extending airframe life which is clearly desirable to keep aircra in
service.”
Linked in flying
A er developing the system for the twin seat KAI T50 military trainer, BAE Systems engineers
realised that it could also have major benefits for commercial applications. The ability to link the
pilot and co-pilot’s controls so each can see and feel the other’s inputs in real time is evidently
beneficial.
“With commercial aircra applications, the biggest advantage is
the ability to link the two sticks rather than the tactile cueing. The
situational awareness of both pilots is hugely improved by active
stick technology. Active inceptors provide force feedback from
one pilot to another, so they can literally feel how each other is
flying.”
A recent milestone for the system was its certification on
Gulfstream’s G500 and G600 business jets. In this case a major
driver was that it enabled Gulfstream to opt for a side stick
cockpit configuration allowing them to free up space, provide a
more ergonomic environment for pilots, and further enhance pilot
to pilot thinking. Gulfstream describe this as its ‘Symmetry
Cockpit’. It meant the aircra OEM could discard traditional
column and wheel (yoke) pilot controls that are bulky, can
obscure cockpit instrument displays, and require heavier linkage
and rigging systems, to provide a better ‘o ice’ space for pilots.
Dependable technology
BAE Systems has a well-earned legacy in electronic flight control systems. Indeed, the company
was the first to develop a primary fly-by-wire system for the Boeing 777. With this background
Active stick technology was
first developed for the Joint
Strike Fighter programme

4. the company was able to apply its expertise when it came to developing active inceptors, which
have to be totally reliable.
“Not surprisingly, there is a lot of interconnectivity and shared technology between a primary
flight control system and an active stick. The active stick is inputting signals into the primary
flight control with processing technologies that have multiple redundancy included, very similar
to a flight control system.
“There is also a tremendous amount of redundancy management technology used with an
active stick with multiple Quadruplex sensors to help monitor and counter any system failures.
Additionally, the processing elements have multiple redundancy designed into them too. If you
do get a common fault you have dissimilar processing elements within the stick that can
counteract a failure.
“At the same time, the linkage between the sticks to the flight controls is actually fairly
conventional. We use analogue variable di erential transducers (VDT) from the two stick’s actual
position to output to the primary flight control, the same as it would be with a passive stick.
“An additional element of the active stick system is that there is a two-way, Arinc 429 standard
interface between the stick and the flight control computer, so data is sent back and forth
between the two. It’s a much more intelligent system because the active stick can provide data
about its own performance as well.”
So, what has been the result of the adoption of the
technology for the new Gulfstream aircra ?
“Gulfstream’s own test pilots said that when they
first demonstrated the technology to their
customers, within an hour or so of using it they
could see the advantages. The handling qualities of
their latest series of jets is improved compared to a
column and wheel control, and of course,
operationally a major benefit is the reduction in
weight that it provides for the aircra . A column and
wheel system can be pretty heavy with all the
necessary assemblies and it takes up a lot of
volume; and that all requires a higher degree of maintenance. By adopting active sticks
Gulfstream has saved weight and fuel consumption, produced a more modern cockpit layout
and reduced through life maintenance costs.”
Adam Taylor, director of business
development and capability for Active
Inceptor Systems

5. And BAE Systems is still working on further improvements, particularly as electronic
components continue to reduce in size.
“The latest PCBs are smaller now than when we first developed the stick for the F-35,” Taylor
concludes. “The commercial stick is now the 5th generation of active inceptor technology. We
could not pack the electronics of the original stick in the latest version. Consequently, we can
continue to take advantage of the development of smaller and lighter electronics. Likewise, the
adoption of the technology by Gulfstream has attracted a lot of interest from the industry, so it
would be great to see it used on other platforms.”
www.baesystems-ps.com
TAGS
BAE SYSTEMS ACTIVE STICK CONTROL TECHNOLOGY COCKPITS
GULFSTREAM INTERIORS LOCKHEED MARTIN F-35
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